EPL Gossip for Tuesday May 20th
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will join Inter Milan after the Champions League final on Wednesday. (Various)
If Lampard is smart he’ll read the writing on the wall and leave. He needs a new challenge at this point. If the current tread continues he’ll not only end up playing second fiddle for Chelsea but second fiddle in the England set up as well.
Chelsea will appoint Guus Hiddink as Avram Grant’s managerial successor for next season. (The Daily Star)
Another case of the press playing pin the tail on the donkey. Just this time its matching up a big name coach with a big name team. Yesterday it was Inter’s coach Roberto Mancini taking over, today its Guus Hiddink. This rumour doesn’t make sense on many levels. The main one being that Hiddink main focus will be on the Russian national football team that he’ll be coaching come Euro 2008. While the Arsenal’s and Manchester United will be sniffing out transfer targets Chelsea will be left behind with Hiddink’s other commitments.
The Champions League final is causing things to get heated on the NBA scene. Cleveland Cavaliers star Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a Manchester United fan and accused Boston’s Kevin Garnett of being a fake Chelsea fan. But Garnett said: “I straightened him out – I let him know I wasn’t a fake fan.” By the way, Boston have just beaten Cleveland 4-3 in the seven-match series. (The Daily Star)
If Kevin Garnett was a Chelsea fan during the Dennis Wise, Gianfranco Zola, Marcel Desailly era I’d have a lot of respect for him. Didn’t come across many Chelsea fans on this side of the Atlantic in the 1990′s.
Arsenal are close to completing the £13.5m capture of Samir Nasri from Marseille. (Various)
If Marseille are willing to sell someone as youth and talented as Masri for £13.5m I don’t know what the hold up would be. If I was running Arsenal I’d personally deliver that cheque in order to bring Nasri to North London.
But Gunners boss Arsene Wenger faces talks with Kolo Toure, who does not want to play second fiddle to William Gallas, while Sporting Lisbon’s Miguel Veloso could be drafted in to replace Mathieu Flamini. (The Sun)
Or, Roma £12m-rated midfielder Alberto Aquilani is being tipped to come in to replace Flamini. (Various)
Arsenal are one of a number of clubs interested in Fiorentina keeper Sebastian Frey. (Mirror)
It sometimes can make your head spin with all this rumours.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:41 am
“If Kevin Garnett was a Chelsea fan during the Dennis Wise, Gianfranco Zola, Marcel Desailly era I’d have a lot of respect for him. Didn’t come across many Chelsea fans on this side of the Atlantic in the 1990’s.”
Haha, good point.